Southwest Airlines Company (LUV) — Cash Flow Quality Index
Southwest Airlines Company (LUV) has a Cash Flow Quality Index of 6.25x as of March 2026. Operating cash flow of $1.42 Billion exceeds net income of $227.00 Million, indicating high earnings quality where cash backs reported profits. Explore LUV cash flow metrics to assess how effectively this company generates cash.
Cash Flow Quality Index
Operating Cash Flow
Net Income
Data as of
Southwest Airlines Company Cash Flow Quality Index (1989–2025)
Historical Cash Flow Quality Index for Southwest Airlines Company across 36 annual periods. Values consistently above 1.0x indicate high-quality earnings. Check total reinvestment intensity of Southwest Airlines Company to assess the company's total reinvestment commitment from operating cash flow.
Annual Cash Flow Quality Index for Southwest Airlines Company (1989–2025)
Year-by-year earnings quality comparison for Southwest Airlines Company. For live market cap and the full company financial profile, see LUV market cap.
| Year | Quality Index | Operating CF (USD) | Net Income | YoY Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 4.18x | $1.84 Billion | $441.00 Million | ▲ +320.4% |
| 2024 | 0.99x | $462.00 Million | $465.00 Million | ▼ -85.4% |
| 2023 | 6.80x | $3.16 Billion | $465.00 Million | ▼ -3.2% |
| 2022 | 7.03x | $3.79 Billion | $539.00 Million | ▲ +195.9% |
| 2021 | 2.38x | $2.32 Billion | $977.00 Million | ▲ +37.1% |
| 2019 | 1.73x | $3.99 Billion | $2.30 Billion | ▼ -12.7% |
| 2018 | 1.98x | $4.89 Billion | $2.46 Billion | ▲ +76.2% |
| 2017 | 1.13x | $3.93 Billion | $3.49 Billion | ▼ -41.1% |
| 2016 | 1.91x | $4.29 Billion | $2.24 Billion | ▲ +28.9% |
| 2015 | 1.48x | $3.24 Billion | $2.18 Billion | ▼ -41.9% |
| 2014 | 2.55x | $2.90 Billion | $1.14 Billion | ▼ -22.6% |
| 2013 | 3.30x | $2.49 Billion | $754.00 Million | ▼ -32.6% |
| 2012 | 4.90x | $2.06 Billion | $421.00 Million | ▼ -37.0% |
| 2011 | 7.78x | $1.39 Billion | $178.00 Million | ▲ +128.8% |
| 2010 | 3.40x | $1.56 Billion | $459.00 Million | ▼ -65.8% |
| 2009 | 9.95x | $985.00 Million | $99.00 Million | ▲ +216.4% |
| 2008 | -8.54x | $-1.52 Billion | $178.00 Million | ▼ -293.7% |
| 2007 | 4.41x | $2.85 Billion | $645.00 Million | ▲ +56.5% |
| 2006 | 2.82x | $1.41 Billion | $499.00 Million | ▼ -30.7% |
| 2005 | 4.07x | $2.23 Billion | $548.00 Million | ▲ +10.0% |
| 2004 | 3.70x | $1.16 Billion | $313.00 Million | ▲ +22.3% |
| 2003 | 3.02x | $1.34 Billion | $442.00 Million | ▲ +40.0% |
| 2002 | 2.16x | $520.21 Million | $240.97 Million | ▼ -25.7% |
| 2001 | 2.90x | $1.48 Billion | $511.15 Million | ▲ +34.9% |
| 2000 | 2.15x | $1.30 Billion | $603.09 Million | ▲ +1.9% |
| 1999 | 2.11x | $1.00 Billion | $474.38 Million | ▲ +3.3% |
| 1998 | 2.04x | $886.13 Million | $433.43 Million | ▲ +6.4% |
| 1997 | 1.92x | $610.59 Million | $317.77 Million | ▼ -35.2% |
| 1996 | 2.97x | $615.23 Million | $207.34 Million | ▲ +18.7% |
| 1995 | 2.50x | $456.44 Million | $182.63 Million | ▲ +8.6% |
| 1994 | 2.30x | $412.67 Million | $179.33 Million | ▼ -9.6% |
| 1993 | 2.55x | $392.70 Million | $154.30 Million | ▼ -12.4% |
| 1992 | 2.91x | $264.50 Million | $91.00 Million | ▼ -24.2% |
| 1991 | 3.84x | $103.20 Million | $26.90 Million | ▲ +61.5% |
| 1990 | 2.38x | $111.90 Million | $47.10 Million | ▲ +1.3% |
| 1989 | 2.35x | $168.00 Million | $71.60 Million | — |